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iPhone 16 Attention Aware Feature Not Working: How to Fix?
Many users with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 in iOS 18 and other newer models have been reporting a frustrating issue related to the Attention Aware feature. Despite having it enabled under Face ID & Passcode settings, it appears to be not working as expected, especially when the phone is locked.
What Is the Attention Aware Feature?
The Attention Aware feature is designed to detect when you’re looking at your iPhone. It helps lower the ringtone volume, alarm volume, or even prevent screen dimming when you’re actively using or facing the screen.
Normally, when a user picks up the phone and looks at it, the ringtone or alarm should reduce automatically. But that’s not happening for many.
Problem: Attention Aware Not Working When iPhone Is Locked
Several users on iOS 18.3 and iOS 18.6.1 have noticed that Attention Aware does not lower the volume of the ringtone or alarms while the iPhone is locked. The feature only works when the iPhone is unlocked.
Users have tried the following steps without success:
- Toggling Attention Aware on and off
- Restarting the phone
- Resetting settings or even the entire device
Even after contacting Apple support and senior advisors, the issue remains unresolved.
Apple’s Response So Far
A few users have reported receiving calls from Apple technical support, where the following was confirmed:
“When the iPhone is locked, Attention Aware features do not function.”
This has confused and frustrated users, especially because the feature is expected to function regardless of the lock state. Some believe this is a bug introduced in recent updates like iOS 18.3 or 18.6.1. Others feel this is a step back in Apple’s overall feature reliability.
How to fix Attention Aware Feature Not Working iPhone ?
Since this issue is on Apple’s end, there’s no confirmed fix for now. However, here are a few steps you can take:
- Keep iOS updated – future updates might resolve this bug.
- Send feedback directly to Apple to make them aware:
- Test your device by locking and unlocking it while someone calls or an alarm rings — see if the feature behaves differently.
- Use alternate ways to manage volume, like Do Not Disturb, until the feature is fixed.
Conclusion:
The Attention Aware feature not working on iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 while the device is locked seems to be a bug or an unexpected limitation in iOS 18+. If this feature is important to you, the best course is to report it to Apple so it gets prioritized for a fix. Until then, users are left waiting for a reliable solution in a future software update.
